Camping Porn

[T & P]

I thought that was a new, smaller portaloo...

Anyways, one item I always bring (or buy at the camping site shop) is a windbreaker. It might seem Carry On-esque but in addition to getting rid of annoying wind and cold drafts, it provides a handy cover to smoke spliffs or do other such activities outdoors without being seen.

 

[sojourner]

Yeh, windbreakers are ace. Them, and a really good anorak, windproof and lightweight

 

[moose]

recommend me a gadget to improve my camping experience

One of these:

 

[wiskey]

One of these:

yes please

but i want a purple one

 

[wiskey]

Hmm. Can't go wrong with the russian-doll-style-packing three part cooking set of solid fuel stove, pan and dish, with detachable handle. If you ask me. That plastic stuff is just asking to be bent and ripped. You can bash tent pegs in with the metal ones

i must admit i cant believe that its taken so long to go from this

to this

which seems a much safer idea.

 

[Crispy]

Takes all the fun^H^H^H challenge out of it!
If it's easy and labour free, it's not camping. Hrrmpf

 

[pogofish]

which seems a much safer idea.

Much heavier as well. Also, the canisters are not always available, wheras camping gaz or similar & the valve type are

Mind you, I use a petrol pressure stove - A weeks worth of all your cooking on less than £1 of petrol!

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

recommend me a gadget to improve my camping experience

It's obvious why every camper needs one of these:

 

[Looby]

It's obvious why every camper needs one of these:

Absolutely perfect for skinning up in a dark field.

 

[wiskey]

Absolutely perfect for skinning up in a dark field.

and blinding every other poor sod every time you look at them

horrible

 

[Crispy]

Absolutely perfect for skinning up in a dark field.

Just don't look up at your friends whilst skinning up "got any roach?" cos you'll blind them.

Jinx

 

[geminisnake]

my silly/sensible/trainspotterish buy this year so far has been 20meters of silver space blanket foil to line the bottom of my new tent (which i serously reccomend you do every time you get a new tent cos it stops your body heat going into the ground)

I used to use old bits of carpet for that, now I have a double inflatable mattress which is better Though bulky.

I like moose's idea of camping

 

[Looby]

Just don't look up at your friends whilst skinning up "got any roach?" cos you'll blind them.

Jinx

I shall promise not to look at anyone if I get one.

Not sure how useful it would be but some of my friends kids have got animal torches from asda like lions and pigs and stuff. You press a button which opens the mouth and reveals the torch and they roar and stuff too.

 

[pogofish]

My own essentials:

A huricane lamp. Hours of light from pennies worth of parrafin, as mobile as a torch but better contrast, heats a small tent at night & with the right fuel, repels insects nicely. Very useful!

Proper coffee pot - speaks for itself. The last thing you want when camping is shite coffee!

Self-inflating camping mat. As others have said, things like this are a real lifesaver. All of them are good but the cheaper ones tend to be bulkier & heavier than the featherweight/tiny-pack, expensive models. Get the best you can afford.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

and blinding every other poor sod every time you look at them

horrible

It's for things like taking a dump in the woods. You can wipe your butt with a leaf while holding onto a tree trunk with the other hand, but still keep a lookout for any roaming bears.

Also, if you spot a bear and have to run screaming through the woods, it lets you have some light, since you'd probably have dropped a regular flashlight when your muscles turned to water from fear.

 

[T & P]

A pair of these...

For no particular reason... other than being nosy.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

 

[wiskey]

Also, if you spot a bear and have to run screaming through the woods, it lets you have some light, since you'd probably have dropped a regular flashlight when your muscles turned to water from fear.

fantastic - so you're being chased through the woods by a rampaging bear and you've goit a massive great light on yer head.

it'll never see you mate

 

[wiskey]

Self-inflating camping mat. As others have said, things like this are a real lifesaver. All of them are good but the cheaper ones tend to be bulkier & heavier than the featherweight/tiny-pack, expensive models. Get the best you can afford.

are they really worth it? they are the only thing that i've been slightly tempted by (its normally just tent, spaceblanket, blanket, me) but the ones i've seen on ebay weigh loads and are proper bulky.

is this going to revolutionise my camping life?

oh and can you pop them?

how do you get the air out?

do they make them big enough for big people?

can you attach them together?

enough q's for now

 

[Crispy]

a bit
no, not unless you really really try
roll and squeeze at the same time.
yes
yes, you can get velcro edged ones.

 

[wiskey]

ok - how much are they likly to cost for decent ones?

*holds breath*

and do they pack down enough to make them suitable for non-car camping?

 

[Crispy]

£69 (and up if you go crazy) for a decent Therm-a-rest (best brand, AFAIK), down to £40 odd for the cheaper ones. My folks have two and they're very comfy. When you add air in, they've got quite a bit of depth to them.

 

[pogofish]

is this going to revolutionise my camping life?

oh and can you pop them?

how do you get the air out?

do they make them big enough for big people?

can you attach them together?

enough q's for now

Yes they are worth it. I was in much the same position, years of being used to just sleeping on the ground, with just insulation. Then foam mats, airbeds etc.

You probably could pop them but so-far, I've not managed it in three years for one mat whilst I've popped just about everything else - even if you do, they contain some sort of firmly spongy cellulose/foam type matrix that will still give you some support - which is the stuff that daws the air-in, above that, I find they usually need a few puffs to give perfect padding. The trick is not to over-inflate them.

To get the air out, you just open the valve & roll it up, they come with either a stuff-sac or straps to force the air right out & pack smallest.

I'm pretty big & have no problems.

Think some of the more expensive ones can be zipped but neither of mine can. You also get double & wide sizes. Tiso's carry a load of different models of Therma-Rests

I have two mats - First I got a cheapo mat from Argos (@£20), then last year a more expensive Therma-Rest in Tiso's summer sale (£60-odd down to £45-50), along with an excellent & tiny-packing lightweight sleeping bag for £25. Not because I was unhappy with the Argos mat, but because I wanted something smaller & lighter to pack on the bike - I had taken the Argos mat on bike/hill-trips with no problems tho.

The Argos mat is a full-length mat with blow-up pillow whilst the Therma-Rest is a 3/4-length lightweight flattie, which packs tiny. Both are fine for comfort & you don't really miss the lack of mat under your feet. They did a full-lenght version too but it did pack a bit bigger (they would do an exchange tho). Got one of those tiny blow-up pillows from a gadget shop to use with it, or the classic wine-box bag will suffice. The lightweight mat & bag have both been warm enough to cope with chilly/snowy spring/autumn conditions on fishing trips to hill-lochs in the high Grampians, although I wouldn't go wintering with them.

 

[pogofish]

Can't go wrong with the russian-doll-style-packing three part cooking set of solid fuel stove, pan and dish, with detachable handle.

Except when the handle detaches at the wrong moment & your scalding-hot dinner lands squarely on something tender or you find-out just how fast the heat conducts up the handle!

 

[Crispy]

Except when the handle detaches at the wrong moment & your scalding-hot dinner lands squarely on something tender or you find-out just how fast the heat conducts up the handle!

That's right! All part of the fun

 

[pogofish]

Yes, camping is just not the same without the imminent risk of third degree burns from multiple sources!

 

[axomoxia]

On the camping list for me....

Tent (duh!)
Sleeping bags - if theres two of you get bags that zip together. Its warmer that way.
Inflatable backpacker air-beds. - yes I could get an air mattress, but I should really get an inflator for it. These are lighter, pack down small, and you can blow them up yourself.
Trangia stove with kettle + Knife, fork spoon set + little bottle washing up liquid + sponge + spatula + tea bags + coffee. - All hide inside a old army respirator bag.
Sachets of mayonaise, tomatoo sauce - half inch them from motorway service stations and cafes - saves you bringing a bottle.
Earplugs. Guarantee a decent night sleep, especially when you have pitched your tent next to someone whore snores could drown out concorde taking off.
Head mounted torch.
Wet wipes.

 

[aqua]

I get serious cases of tent envy

we have a CCCOutdoors place near us and some of the tents they have

I'm actually after 2 sleeping bags that we can zip together up both sides - but I daren't go to the shop cos I come out with half of it

 

[baldrick]

I'm actually after 2 sleeping bags that we can zip together up both sides - but I daren't go to the shop cos I come out with half of it

i want some of those

i have one of those therma-rest mats and it's one of the best bits of equipment ever - keeps you warm and comfy, even when you have a shit sleeping bag, less bulky than a normal roll-mat and dead easy to use. i got a full length one, 'cos i thought my feet hanging off the end might be uncomfortable.

i don't drive, so although i would love the cosy duvet/blanket options - everything has to be as light as possible. and trangias are much better than those shit wobbly stoves that blow out

 

[Sir Belchalot]

I reckon you're all lightweights. Bought one of these for £30:

Gore-tex bivvy bag. Great for hiking when you don't want to carry much weight/bulk around with you. You can sleep in it on wet ground in the rain and wake up bone dry.